“A democratic Israel is only achievable through a two-state-solution,’’ declared German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as he took the defense of US Secretary of State John Kerry.

‘’The speech by US Secretary of State John Kerry is a warning and a reminder that the two-state solution must not become an empty phrase,’’ he said.

“Israeli settlements in occupied territories jeopardize possibility of peace process,” he added.

Steinmeier said that “since he came into office, John Kerry has tirelessly worked toward a peaceful solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

According to Prof. Gerald Steinberg, who teaches political studies at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, “in many ways, the Obama-Kerry perception of the conflict has been shaped by European conventional wisdom.’’

‘’So it is not surprising to see European leaders embracing Kerry’s speech. In Germany, Foreign Minister Steinmeier has been particularly critical of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu (taking Germany farther away from its post-Holocaust role),” he told The Jerusalem Post.